Spring dispenser



Sept. 24, 1963 H. P. SMITH SPRING DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1961 L h l mmgvvvvvvv INVENTOR HART L -Y PERRY 5M1 TH ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1961 INVENTOR HA R TLEY PER/2 y 5M1 TH ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,104,923 SPRING DTSPENSER Hartley Perry Smith, Bristol, Conn, assignor to Assoelated Spring Corporation, Bristol, (301111., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 24, 1951, Ser. No. 112,244 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-45) This invention relates broadly to the art and field of spring manufacture and use and, more particularly, has to do with apparatus for dispensing packaged springs at the point of use thereof.

It has formerly been the practice, in the manufacture and use of such devices as springs, to ship the same in bulk from the point of manufacture to the place of use. Such bulk shipment of springs has resulted in considerable delay at the point of use because of the usual necessity to separate the springs from each other, due to their tendency to become interlocked and tangled.

It has been proposed to improve the conditions of manufacture and use of springs by packaging them at the point of manufacture and dispensing them from the package at the point of use, so that they will not become tangled after manufacture and during shipment. This invention relates to such packaged springs, and provides means for dispensing springs from a package at the point of use, which means will be adaptable to packages of various sizes and lengths and which will also permit the dispensing of springs of various sizes and lengths. The principal object of the present invention has been to provide a device for holding and supporting a number of packages of springs at the point of use thereof and which will permit springs to be dispensed successively from the individual packages.

The invention is described in the following specificatnlaln Iland is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in w 1c P16. 1 is a perspective view of the device provided by the invention for holding a number of tubular packages of springs;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of parts shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the package carrying part of the device shown in FIG. 1, and

4 is a sectional view taken diametrically through The spring dispensing device provided by this invention comprises a base part A, which is positioned adjacent the point of use of the springs, and one or more other parts B, each of which may be loaded with a number of tubular spring packages so that as all of the packages of one of the parts B are used another part B, filled with loaded packages of springs, may be put in its place on the base part A, whereby the flow of springs to the point of use will not be interrupted. The base part A has a vertical, cylindrical wall 2 and a bottom 4-, from the center of which there extends upwardly a rod or post 6, the upper end of which is disposed considerably above the upper edge of wall 2. Adjacent its lower end, and within wall 2, the post 6 is provided with a sleeve 8 which rests on the bottom wall 4 and the upper end of which is below the upper edge of wall 2. At one point on its outer surface the cylindrical wall 2 has mounted thereon a right angular bracket having a flange '10 having a substantially horizontal surface, which is mounted for vertical adjusting movement on the wall 2 by means of a bolt and nut 12. The base part A also has a top or cover 14, the diameter of which is larger than that of the wall 2. This cover 14 has a slot 16 in its periphery which is positioned vertically above the adjustable supporting surface and extends inwardly of the top beyond the outer surface of wall 2.

3,104,923 Patented Sept. 24, 1953 "P Ice The device provided by the invention also has a second part B which is adapted to receive and hold a plurality of tubular spring packages 10!), within each of which a plurality of springs 102 are positioned in end-toend relation. This second part of the device co-operates with the first part A in such a way that one spring package at a time is positioned above the slot 16 for dispensing springs onto the supporting surface 10. This second part of the device comprises two spaced, circular, concentric end members 30, 32, which are connected by a tube 34 which is concentric with the end members, which has an internal diameter larger than the external diameter of post 6 so that it can be slipped over the post, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and which protrudes at its one end 35 beyond the outer surface of the adjacent end member 30. An annular groove 36 is cut in the protrud ing part 35 of tube 34 immediately adjacent the outer surface of end member 30. The end members 31 32 are smaller in diameter than the top plate 14 of the base member A, as also shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The peripheries of the two end members 30, 32 have aligned snap members 38 by which the end parts of each tubular spring package may be releasably held so that each package extends between the two end members.

When the spring dispensing device is to be used, the part B is filled with a plurality of tubular packages of springs by engaging each package within aligned holding members 38. At this time the part B is separated from part A and the ends of the tubular spring packages are closed, as by plugs 37. When the part B has been prepared in this way the plugs 37 are removed from the upper ends of the spring packages, and a paddle 40 is positioned above and covering the upper ends of the packages 109, as shown in FIG. 3. This paddle is circular in shape and of larger diameter than the end members 30,

32 of part B. It also has an elongated radial slot 42 which is of such width that it will fit into the groove 36 in tube 34. This locks the paddle to part B and the assembled tubes .109 so that part B can be inverted over post 6 without spilling any of the springs 102 in the tubes. When the packages 100 have been assembled to the part B with their open upper ends covered by the paddle, as shown in FIG. 3, the part B is assembled to part A by turning it upside down so that the paddle is below the part B and prevents the springs from falling out of the tubular packages. In this position the tube 34 of part B is moved downwardly over the post 6 of part A until the assembly B rests on the top cover of base part A. When this occurs the paddle '40 may be withdrawn leaving the end plate '30 resting on the upper surface of the top cover 14 of part A. The top cover will prevent the springs from falling out of the open lower ends of the packages 1%, but one of the packages may be moved to a position above the slot 16 in the top cover 14 and the lowest spring in this package will fall downwardly onto the surface 10, which may be adjusted vertically in accordance with the length of the spring being dispensed. When all of the springs have been removed from this one package the part B may be rotated to successive positions to bring each spring package over the slot 16 and supporting surface 10 to permit springs to be dispensed therefrom.

While I have described and illustrated one form which my invention may take, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates that other embodiments, as well as modifications of that disclosed, may be made and practised without departing in any way from the spirit or scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be made to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for supporting in vertical positions adjacent the point of use thereof a plurality of elongated packages of springs which are arranged in end-to-end relation within each package and for permitting individual delivery thereof from the packages, said device comprising a first par-t having a base comprising a cylindrical vertical wall, a circular top on saidwall which is larger in diameter than the wall, a slot in the periphery thereof terminating adjacent the outer surface of the vertical wall, a bracket having a horizontal surface mounted on said wall below said slot, means for effecting vertical adjustment of said horizontal surface of said bracket, a vertical sleeve positioned on said base, a vertical post mounted in said sleeve and extending upwardly from the center of said wall substantially above the upper edge of the wall, said device comprising also a second part comprising two spaced circular concentric end membens connected by a concentric tube, said tube being received on said post for rotation thereon, said end members having aligned parts at the peripheries thereof to releasably hold the end parts of elongated packages of springs, said end members being smaller in diameter than the circular top of the first part whereby springs in the packages held by the secondtpart will be held from falling from said packages until each package is positioned over the slot in the peripheral edge of said top.

2. A device for supporting in vertical positions adjacent the point of use thereof a plurality of elongated packages of springs which are arranged in end-to-end relation within each package and for permitting individual delivery thereof from the packages, said device comprising a first part having a circular base, a cylindrical vertical wall attached to said base and a. circular top on said wall which is larger in diameter than the Wall, an elongated slot in the periphery of the top terminating adjacent the outer surface of the vertical wall, a bracket having a horizontal surface mounted on said wall below said slot, means for eiiecting vertical adjustment of the horizontal surface of said bracket, a vertical sleeve positioned centrally on said base, a vertical post mounted in said sleeve and extending upwardly from the sleeve substantially above the upper edge of the wall, said device comprising also a second part comprising two spaced circular concentric end members connected by a concentric tube, said tube having a diameter larger than the diameter or" the vertical post and being received on said post for rotation thereon, said tube extending beyond the surface of one of the .two spaced concentric end members and adapted in use to abut the upper surface of the sleeve, and an annular groove formed in said portion of. said tube extending beyond the endmernber, said end members having aligned parts at the peripheries thereof to releasably hold the end parts of elongated packages of springs, said end members being smaller in diameter than the circular top of the first part whereby springs in the packages held by the aligned part will be held from falling from said packages until each package is positioned over the slot in the peripheral edge of said top, and removable rneans for retaining said springs in said open ended tubes to prevent the springs from falling through the slot.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,815 Ziebell Sept. 11, 1906 1,197,577 Gove et a1. Sept. 5, 1916 1,761,088 Pryde June 3, 1930 2,876,055 Gaiser Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,751 Germany July 9, 1930 

2. A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING IN VERTICAL POSITIONS ADJACENT THE POINT OF USE THEREOF A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED PACKAGES OF SPRINGS WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN END-TO-END RELATION WITHIN EACH PACKAGE AND FOR PERMITTING INDIVIDUAL DELIVERY THEREOF FROM THE PACKAGES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FIRST PART HAVING A CIRCULAR BASE, A CYLINDRICAL VERTICAL WALL ATTACHED TO SAID BASE AND A CIRCULAR TOP ON SAID WALL WHICH IS LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN THE WALL, AN ELONGATED SLOT IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE TOP TERMINATING ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE VERTICAL WALL, A BRACKET HAVING A HORIZONTAL SURFACE MOUNTED ON SAID WALL BELOW SAID SLOT, MEANS FOR EFFECTING VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF SAID BRACKET, A VERTICAL SLEEVE POSITIONED CENTRALLY ON SAID BASE, A VERTICAL POST MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE SLEEVE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE UPPER EDGE OF THE WALL, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING ALSO A SECOND PART COMPRISING TWO SPACED CIRCULAR CONCENTRIC END MEMBERS CONNECTED BY A CONCENTRIC TUBE, SAID TUBE HAVING A DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE VERTICAL POST AND BEING RECEIVED ON SAID POST FOR ROTATION THEREON, SAID TUBE EXTENDING BEYOND THE SURFACE OF ONE OF THE TWO SPACED CONCENTRIC END MEMBERS AND ADAPTED IN USE TO ABUT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SLEEVE, AND AN ANNULAR GROOVE FORMED IN SAID PORTION OF SAID TUBE EXTENDING BEYOND THE END MEMBER, SAID END MEMBERS HAVING ALIGNED PARTS AT THE PERIPHERIES THEREOF TO RELEASABLY HOLD THE END PARTS OF ELONGATED PACKAGES OF SPRINGS, SAID END MEMBERS BEING SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN THE CIRCULAR TOP OF THE FIRST PART WHEREBY SPRINGS IN THE PACKAGES HELD BY THE ALIGNED PART WILL BE HELD FROM FALLING FROM SAID PACKAGES UNTIL EACH PACKAGE IS POSITIONED OVER THE SLOT IN THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID TOP, AND REMOVABLE MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SPRINGS IN SAID OPEN ENDED TUBES TO PREVENT THE SPRINGS FROM FALLING THROUGH THE SLOT. 